News

Erie House Statement on United States v Texas SCOTUS Decision

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 23, 2016 | Chicago, IL

Today the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a 4-4 split on the United States v Texas hearing regarding President Obama’s executive action to provide relief from deportation to an estimated 4 million undocumented immigrants.

We at Erie Neighborhood House lament this outcome, which essentially forces millions of immigrants—our sisters, brothers, parents, neighbors and friends—to continue waiting for justice to prevail.

When President Obama announced his executive action in November 2014, it was in response to years of inaction by Congress to fix our nation’s broken immigration system. The president’s administrative relief would expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and create a new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program, two initiatives that serve to protect children, youth and families, invite them out of the shadows and affirm the vital role they play in our communities and nation at large.

We mourn alongside those within our community who will continue to live in fear, unable to fully realize their potential as Americans. But even as we absorb the disappointment of the SCOTUS decision, we must continue working for long-lasting change alongside our immigrant neighbors.

Today we are joining fellow members of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and other immigration advocates across the city for a 1:00 pm rally at the ICE offices in downtown Chicago. We must urge ICE to end its deportation policy and practice of raids that spread fear within our immigrant communities. We must also urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that values each immigrant individual and the vast contributions they make to our society.

Our Citizenship and Immigration department will be hosting a free workshop tomorrow, June 24, at 6:00 pm at 1347 W Erie St to provide more information and resources to staff and participants on the SCOTUS decision and how it impacts our community. And we will continue working to make sure our participants are educated about their rights and have sufficient resources to advocate for themselves.

Erie Neighborhood House (ENH) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that reaches 5,000 people annually, empowering them to build better lives while strengthening their communities. ENH offers Chicago’s Latino and diverse low-income residents a range of community-based education programs. With forward-thinking leadership, ENH is committed to continuing its legacy of cost effective, award-winning programming. For more information, please visit www.eriehouse.org.